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Seattle by Night - A Vampire: The Masquerade [PbP]

The 90's - flannel shirts, grunge rock, hip hop, coffee, multiculturalism, alternative media, a booming economy and burgeoning communication technology industry are the order of the day. A few short years ago the Cold War ended with a whimper rather than the expected bang as the Societ Union dissolved. The Iraq War finished as soon as it started and President Clinton was ushered into office on a platform of neoliberalism and saxophone playing. Seattle is on the rise both nationally and internationally as both a cultural and business center. A number of major corporations headquartered in the greater Seattle area are on the rise, such as Boeing, Microsoft and upstart Starbucks. In the last few decades multiple skyscrapers have been errected and gentrification is pushing out most of the city's original residents to the surrounding suburbs. Meanwhile, the children of the nineties, the so-called Generation X, are dubbed the middle children of history and written off by the media leading to a malaise of apathy and angst in youth culture.

For the Kindred, Seattle was once a sterling example of the Anarch community but has since come under contest. In the late sixties, riding on a wave of labor union victories and cultural revolution, Anarchs controlled Seattle by preventing the Camarilla from gaining a foothold. Anarchs, in fact, still represent the greatest population of vampires within the city proper. Despite this advantage of numbers, the rapid reconstruction and expansion following Mt. Saint Helens, rise of the technology industry, and vested corporate interests in the Puget Sound area gave the Camarilla the necessary leverage for control. The Anarchs are now forced to pay lipservice to Ivory Tower's hierarchy and policies while scheming to eject them from their city. But the Camarilla's hold is tennuous at best, as where they go in these Final Nights the Sabbat are never far behind. Sabbat packs have been spotted terrorizing the territory, threatening to encroach on both factions.

Welcome to the Great Pacific Northwest. This is Seattle by Night.

Standard character creation packages. No splashbooks. No Sabbat PCs. No other supernatural races (werewolves, mages, etc.). You may create either a neonate Kindred or, if you so desire, ghoul in service to another player or an NPC vampire. You may be recently Embraced/thralled or older, but you should all be old enough to have moved on from the nest. Your characters should have personal goals, relationships, and strong motivations to help drive the story. Consider the following when creating your master/sire:

Who is your sire/master?

What is your relationship with her like?

Is she in good standing with the Anarch community or a Camarilla loyalist?

Were you Embraced within the tennents of the Traditions?

Has your sire/master ever commited Diablerie?

If so, then how has she escaped justice at the hands of the Camarilla all these years?Our Players

Posts

Gordon Jenner, Ventrue Prince - Through skilled positioning, efficient politicking, and ruthless tactics, Jordan's strategy won the Emerald City for the Camarilla. As his reward Jordan was elevated to Prince and tasked by Justicar Welles with securing his victory. He vowed to the Justicar that Seattle would remain under Camarilla control til the End of Days.

Alex Vallejo, Keeper of Elysium - It's Alex's job to keep the peace of Elysium, no ease task in a city as densely packed with Anarchs as Seattle. Prince Gordon's strategy has always been to bring the wayward flock back into the fold, which means leaving the doors to Elysium open. Still this Brujah takes it upon himself to police the riffraff that come in and has managed to keep any indicents that arise in check.

The Black Dalhia, Nosferatu Primogen - A former Anarch, Debra Bassinger betrayed her comrades by acting as double agent for Prince Gordon. Proving her loyalty by slaying her sire, Debra secured her reward as position in the Prince's Primogens (earning the ire of the Anarch community in the process). She now acts as the Prince's eyes and ears in the streets, enlisting her network of spies to keep Prince Jordan informed of goings-on in the Kindred community. In whispered tones, hopefully outside the earshot of Debra's network of spies, they've begun to call her the Black Dalhia.

Donald White, Gangrel Sheriff - The Red Right Hand of the Prince. The Veil Piercer. The Thin-Blood Hunter. As Prince Gordon plans a path forward indoctrinating Anarchs into the Ivory Tower, it falls to Donald to enforce the Traditions. Including the horrible duty of enforcing the Tradition of Progeny. For too long Kindred of Seattle have Embraced without consequence or consideration. It falls to Donald to thin the ranks of late-generation vampires and bring the number of Kindred more inline with what's expected based on the population of the Emerald City. It is a terrible duty but one that must be completed to maintain the Masquerade.

Robert Morgan, Tremere Primogen - The second of Prince Jordan's primogen, Robert Morgan acts as the Prince's advisor on the other supernatural beings who reside in Puget Sound. He has assisted with coming to an understanding with the magi who reside at the University of Washington. The treaties with the kuei-jin of Chinatown were due in no small part to his hard work and dedication.

Vanessa Keyes, Toreador Harpy - For decades there has been zero domain structure and maintenance within Seattle. Kindred have feed however and whereever they liked, leading to conflicts and potential Masquerade violations. Lady Vanessa has taken it upon herself to negotiation and establishing domains for the clan leaders and elders. Should she be successful in establishing order she may be next in line to join the Primogen.Anarchs

Derrick Lonagan, Anarch Leader - In a community that soundly rejects central authority, Derrick has become an unofficial leader of the Anarch movement in Seattle. Standing tall with a rugged features and an easy charisma, he does much of the organization, planning, and delegation backbone work. Being of the Gangrel clan the great metroplex area disagrees with Derrick. His haven is somewhere out on the Puget Sound, a closely guarded secret known only to his inner circle.

Arthur Dent, Mad Poet - As Malkavians go, you might think that Arthur has gotten off easy. Well-educated and knowledgeable, he is an excellent conversationalist who knows exactly how to play to an audience. This well-adjusted exterior, however, belies a much deeper and more insidious form of madness: post-traumatic stress disorder. Arthur was Embraced after coming home from the Vietnam War and suffers from horrific flashbacks and an inability to cope with violence. He uses poetry as his outlet, writing terrifying and affecting verse about the nature of violence and death. Despite his disability, he a central figure in the Anarch movement, using his talents to convert Kindred to the cause.

Janet Van Dynne, Militant Rebel - Like her fellow Brujah, Jeanette has a lot of anger but no idea where to direct it. Finding the Seattle Anarch cause was like finally finding the square peg she fit in to. Jeanette's role within the organization is recruitment and security. It's her job to check out new recruits and make sure the locations for meetings are kept secret.

Kati Jones, Smuggler Extraordinaire - With the Camarilla in control, it's only a matter of time before the Caitiff and thin-bloods Embraced outside the Traditions are culled. Seems like an ideal opportunity for a dashing rogue to make a profit. Kati operates a smuggling ring, escorting late-generation Kindred to the California Free State. Kati's services don't come cheap though, and she always demands payment upfront.

Zooey Barnes, Den Mother - Zooey is a Kindred of both motherly appearance and manner. She has taken it upon herself to provide safehouses for the Caitiff and thin-bloods the Red Right Hand has so viciously hunted. When she can she assists them with escaping to California but encourages those strong enough to stay and fight for their homes. Whichever path they choose, she puts them in touch with the right people within the movement.Independents

Mitch Pileggi, Giovanni Fixer - Everyone knows Mitch, but no one has actually meet Mitch. Mitch is the Kindred who can get you whatever you need, but you'll only ever meet with him through associates, ghouls and proxies. Automatic weapons, rare blood types, whatever you want Mitch's associates will get it within a reasonable amount of time. Just don't actually go looking for Mitch. The last Kindred to attempt to find the real Mitch Pileggi was woke up to the sunrise.

Zhang Jingchu, Eastern Ambassador - The mysterious ambassador for the so-called Kindred of the East, Zhang Jingchu is possessed of a grace and loveliness even the Kindred envy. With the assistance of the Tremere Primogen, Jingchu successfully negotiated with the Prince for the Chinatown District. In exchange for keeping Western vampires out of Chinatown, she has assisted the Camarilla with putting down Anarchs.

The Bohemian - With the rise of hiphop in the mid-1980's, various rap scenes began to sprout up across the nation. The Bohemian was Seattle's first hiphop club, playing host to some of the early greats and some local rap battles. By the early 1990's it was the place in the Puget Sound area to see live hiphop performances.

Chinatown District - Even Anarchs respect the treaties drafted by the Prince and Zhang Jingchu. Her kuei-jin have proven deadly efficient and do not tolerate outsiders enter their territory. Vampires have been forbidden to enter Chinatown or interfere with the business of the so-called Kindred of the East.

Claremont Hotel - Dating back to the 1890's, the Claremont Hotel has a rich sense of history that few other Seattle locales share. It's warm woods, soft lighting, and uniformed staff all harken back to Golden Age era history. It even smells of linseed oil and old cherry tobacco. It also happens to be one of the most haunted locations in the Emerald City. A horrible massacre occured here when it's basement served as a divebar during Prohibition. Sixteen people died that day, making it an ideal headquarters for the Giovanni clan in the metropolitan area.

Fenix Underground - The source for the gothic, metal, and industrual scene of the 90's, Fenix Underground is the place to get your fix of BSDM fashions and the dark night of the soul. A favored hunting ground for many vampires, filled with drunk and stoned scene kids who wouldn't even think to bat an eye at the sight of a fang.

Kubota Garden - "Are you nuts?! Don't fucking go in there, man! That place is off limits to us. You think you're just going to have a nice stroll under the moonlight. With all the zen gardens, bamboo, koi, and shit. Then WHAM! Your severed arm's in the jaw of some lupine fuck wrapped in orange bedsheets caked with your blood. Just. Keep. Out!"

O.K. Hotel - If you want to hear what's happening in the punk scene first, the O.K. Hotel is the place to go hear it. It's also one of the easier places to score heroine other than beneath the Fremont bridge. With all the loud music and stoned junkies, it is a favored hunting ground for the Gangrel and Brujah living in the metropolitan area looking for an easy feed.

The Paramount - Established in 1928, the Paramount is Seattle's oldest operating theatre and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in '74. Opened primarily for the showing of film and vaudville, today the Paramount hosts a diverse number of acts from concerts, dance, live performance, and silent film.

Seattle Underground - Like most major metropolitan areas, Seattle is built on the ruins of what came before. Beneath it's street lie the ruins of the underground. Anything that wasn't raised to the new level you can find down here. You can still follow the cracked, paved streets and many of its crumbling store fronts are still recognizable. It's the most comfortable subterranian dwelling a Nosferatu could ask for.

Smith Tower - Completed in 1914, the 38-story Smith Tower is the oldest skyscraper in Seattle and the known haven of Prince Gordon. Many of the deals and treaties he carved out her negotiated in the famous Chinese Room on the 35-floor. There is heavily-armed secutity on very floor perninent to the interests of the Prince, making any attempt at a raid by Anarchs a pipedream.

The Space Needle, Elysium - Sky City Dinner located in the Space Needle has been declared Elysium by Prince Jordan. It is now a safe haven where the Camarilla can meet and discuss the future of the city. It's doors are also open to the Anarchs, who are welcome provided the respect the Traditions and Prince while in attendance.

Sub Pop Records - Founded by Bruce Pavitt in 1986, Sub Pop is the hottest indie record label of the day. They have signed some of the best new talent in the Pacific Northwest, from Mudhoney and Soundgarden to Nirvana and Sleater-Kinney. Many of their artists have gone on to mainstream careers. The Terminal Sales Building, which operates as the record label's headquarters, is owned by some of the city's most influential Anarchs and sometimes plays host to their clandestine meetings.

The Troll Under the Bridge - "What the hell is this thing? Where the fuck did it come from?! How come it's always looking at me!?!"

University of Washington - The University of Washington was founded in 1891 and is open territory for the Kindred, except it is a known haven for the magi. Every vampire knows it's best to leave the magicians to their experiments, if only for the sake of self-preservation. Still the Tremere occassionally have dealings with the magi and maintain thier Chantry near the campus, if at a safe distance.

The Waterfront - Overlooking Elliott Bay, the Waterfront is one of Seattle's most striking neighborhoods. It hosts both container ports, comercial and small boat docking, as well as the Great Wheel, an aquarium, and a hotel overlooking the water. The board walk is nearly always packed with tourists, who while easy prey in and of themselves are difficult to hunt due to the sheer volume.

Bio-
Born in Detroit, Elizabeth came from a broken home. Her drug addict mother barely paid her attention, her father could have been any man in Detroit, and she carried this rage inside her most of her childhood. She finally found love in music, especially Metal, where she found a home among the angry riffs and fuck-the-world lyrics. She and some of her friends dropped out of high school and created the band "Heir to the Devil", which Elizabeth was the drummer and songwriter for. The band broke up after the lead singer and the bass player almost killed each other over a gig.

With nothing left at in Detroit, Lizzy left to Seattle, to try her hand at the new sound coming from there. She got a job as a bartender at a night club with her fake ID and it was here she first met Chantalle, a French slam poet who performed every Wednesday night. Chantalle was a strange mix of person, with her jet black hair and pale skin that clashed with her flowery skirts and faded Tie-Dye tees, eyes couldn't help but follow her around when she took the stage. Lizzy would describe it as "a twisted rant of lust and lost that lyrically made no sense yet deep inside you it does." Lizzy became entranced with the woman and her words, as did the crowds who would leave feeling as though their minds had been scrabbled and opened to something else. Lizzy spend her off time trying to copy Chantalle's style into her grunge music, feeling that the two worlds would blend perfectly. But instead, it seemed she could only create a mess of words that lacked the true understanding of chaos the woman possessed.

One night, as Lizzy was cleaning up after closing, she found a paper on a table that was written in the strangest calligraphy she had ever seen. Like the writer knew how to write but failed to be able to properly control the pen. But the words Lizzy knew, it was Chantalle's poem from that night. Lizzy set off to find the right notes to accompany the words and from it birth the only song Lizzy ever felt truly proud of, "Garden of Lost Lovers." To Lizzy, the words were a love letter between lovers who never met, whose love for each other killed them both but united them beyond this world. When Lizzy finished the last night and played the whole thing in her apartment, she suddenly noticed Chantalle was there with her. The woman's face never betrayed her thoughts and Lizzy didn't know what to say. Instead, the pale woman leaned in and kissed Lizzy. While she had never felt any true attraction to a woman before, that kiss became all that Lizzy wanted at that moment.

The next night, Lizzy was awaken not by the sights of her apartment, but by a sound, soft and subtle. It wasn't the city, nor the rain, or even the soft breaths of Chantalle who was curled up like a kitten next to her new childe. No, it was a sound, like music but made of notes Lizzy never heard before. Chantalle, to the best of her abilities being one cursed with madness, explained to Lizzy her new life as a vampire and as a Malkavian.

Lizzy has done little among the vampire world. She mostly spends her night like she did alive, bar tendering and writing music. But the words never seem to be right and the music never matches what she hears. And that frustrates and delights her to no end.

Who is your sire/master?

Chantalle, a French Malkavain who was sired in the mid 1800s. Chantalle's sire is dead.

What is your relationship with her like?

Chantalle and Lizzy are close, some would say that Chantalle is slightly possessive about her childe. Some nights Lizzy will wake only to find her sire curled up with her (not that Lizzy minds. The music is sweeter when she's near). When Lizzy tried to ask about Chantalle's other childes, the music became harsh, sad, and full of pain. The subject has never been brought up again, leading Lizzy to believe she's Chantalle's only living childe.

Is she in good standing with the Anarch community or a Camarilla loyalist?

Chantalle is known to both the Anarch and Camarilla, but neither see her as a threat or ally. Chantalle herself laughs at the political games, calling them "A feast of maggots eating maggots in blood soup." Lizzy on the other hand, being a rebellious teenager barely old enough to be called an adult in her human days, sides with the Anarchs, all though she's done little in her few years as a vampire to truly build a rep with them. She, however, avoids getting caught up in Camarilla games as much as she can, as she hates people giving her orders just because she's young.

Were you Embraced within the tenements of the Traditions?

Possibly not. But so far no one has tried to kill her or Chantalle about it, so it seems no one cares.

Has your sire/master ever committed Diablerie?

During the first night Lizzy became a vampire, the subject got brought up. While Chantalle has never done it, she was nearly killed by another vampire who tried to drain her. From what Lizzy understands, it was in the 30s in New Orleans and it was a vampire who Chantalle trusted very much (possibly the other childe as the harsh music played in Lizzy's mind when Chantalle was talking about it). She was saved by a human hunter who let Chantalle live, even though he knew what she was. She left New Orleans that night, but where she when from there, Lizzy doesn't know.

EDIT: Scrapped due to mulling the concept over more, now apping as a Gangrel.

OK, so I have a half-idea which I'd like to see if anyone else is interested in running with.

Basically I want to play a ghoul that has been captured from a failed Sabbat raid; her new regnant maybe thought she would have a lot of useful intel on the sect, but mostly she just has gory stories, and a skillset focused almost entirely on being the bait that brings food to her master.

Ideally she's from the Zantosa revenant family, but if Mikey wants to leave that revenant stuff out, thats ok. I'm not sure which edition of VTM this game is (but V20 has Zantosas in it)

So basically, even with an Anarch/Camarilla as regnant, her life is still horribly broken (as ghoul to any vampire would be), but being away from the inhumanity of the Sabbat is the closest to a chance at redemption she's ever had, so she's weirdly positive about the change. Sure, people are still dying, but so many fewer, and so much less pain for them.

Outside of her service, I think that she's fighting her upbringing of being a tool for vampires and is trying hard to be a useful person to the world during the day, which gets undone any time she has to fall back into her old role of herding mortals. Maybe by day she works in aged care, or even just in retail.

Anyway, if someone with a vampire concept would like a PC ghoul offsider, let me know and I'll tailor her to be a more interesting match with your character. Ideally she'd end up with a non-Toreador/party animal type, for the contrast and new path.

Damien Thorn was a brilliant 11 year old who was dying of a rare form of brain cancer. His father, a retainer of the Tremere clan in Atlanta, asked his master to save the boy. She took pity on her loyal servant and requested the right of embrace from the prince. Due to the uniqueness of the boy's circumstances, it was felt that he should be provided with a ghoul to provide a Masquerade cover for him should he need to be out and about at night. While his father volunteered, the elders believed allowing Damien to stay so near to his father would make things difficult when the time came to move on. His father took it poorly to say the least and the clan was forced to silence him when he threatened to reveal their secrets to the public. His angry spirit still follows Damien to this day, mostly a minor annoyance, but sometimes a serious impediment.

For the next five years Damien studied and worked in the chantry's library devouring all he could of the new world. He grew close to his ghoul, who now acted as a surrogate father. (I'm leaving the ghoul's name and stuff up to you @Mikey CTS unless you'd like me to handle it).

Now he has traveled to Seattle and his Sire has decided that it's time for him to be on his own.

(Character sheet shared with you)

Who is your sire/master? Catelyn Winters, current Camarilla envoy of the Tremere clan in Seattle.

What is your relationship with her like? Very good, she mentors Damien when she is not busy with Camarilla business in the city.

Is she in good standing with the Anarch community or a Camarilla loyalist? Camarilla loyalist, but she's not aggressively trying to force people into the fold. She's working to convince the Anarchs of the rightness of the Camarilla's cause.

Were you Embraced within the tennents of the Traditions? Yes and no. He was embraced because the prince of Atlanta agreed for it to happen, but the prince was deceived and had no idea just how young he was. He was hidden in the Tremere chantry for several years before moving out to Seattle with his Sire and his ghoul retainer.

Ugh! I wrote and posted it to a page that I hadn't refreshed...I'm not sure how our characters would be connected @ameybes , but maybe we can work on it a little? Maybe Damien was assigned a new ghoul when he got to Seattle. Maybe it's a point of conflict with his Sire. "But I liked Billy the mechanic...who is this lady you're making me hang out with now?"

So far in my head I've come up with a 80s Metal Drummer from a band that never made it big who befriended a Malkavian slam poet (I think that's what you call those cafe shop poets) in the mid-80s. The idea I'm working with is that she "hears the music of the world" but like all Malks who have the answers but never the question, she can never seem to write the music down. She might also speak in rhymes, nearly singing them at times.

@Mikey CTS: I plan on picking up the V20 PDF when I get off work, but I had a question based on my hazy memory of playing WoD in college: were there clans that were always Sabbat, or could any vampire be a member of the Camarilla?

I should have never taken the case, but damn if I don't have a soft spot for kids. Or teenage girls, in this case. Mama-bird said her precious Bianca (ugh) has been running with the wrong crowd, showing up past curfew by days at a time, reeking of booze and smoke and something she can't quite put her finger on. But this time, she says the chick has flown the coop for good. I tell her that sometimes, you gotta let kids find common sense on their own, but the Franklin family reunion she laid out on my desk made it impossible to tell her "no."

I got a tip from one of my sources saying there was some sort of cult that took up shop in an abandoned movie theater, call themselves the Snake Clan or something. I snuck into a theater where I see a bunch of weirdos in cloaks standing around a girl on a freakin' altar. I went to pull out my gun, but something hit me from behind. When I woke up, I hear some French chick prattle on about how if I can find their lair, I would be useful to the Followers of Set.

Now? My life's pretty much the same as it was. The clients are still shitheads, except more of them have my "unique" appetites now, and I still have office hours, but they're a little later than before.

**************

Who is your sire/master? Antoinette Beaumont

What is your relationship with her like? She's pleasant enough and gives me a long leash, but I'm starting to get annoyed with the "assignments" and "pet projects" she keeps sending my way.

Is she in good standing with the Anarch community or a Camarilla loyalist? Antoinette likes to think she's some master manipulator, playing both sides off each other, but I think if the shit ever actually went south, she'd run to the Camarilla with her rattler between her legs. Or whatever.

Were you Embraced within the tenants of the Traditions? If by "Embraced within the tenants of the Traditions" you mean "hit on the back of the head with a vase and woke up a vampire", then, sure, I guess I did.

Has your sire/master ever committed Diablerie? Not that I know of, but, then again, I'm not with her 24-7.

@Nealneal with Dorian, the Embraced child relocated from ATL to the Seattle chantry.@dresdenphile with Jack, the Setite PI whose only just begun to learn the depths of Kindred intrigue.@Grunt's Ghosts and Lizzy, the former metal drummer who literally went mad thinking of the music.